Small acts of kindness, made with care

Sometimes, it’s the smallest details that can make a difficult moment a little gentler.

Bags of Compassion is a new project at Saint Catherine’s, creating handmade fabric bags to help our teams return patients’ personal belongings to their families with dignity and care.

Each bag is lovingly sewn by a volunteer and provides a thoughtful alternative to using plastic bags. Made from fabric and donated with kindness, every bag represents a small act of compassion at a time when it matters most.

The idea for Bags of Compassion was originally created by St Columba’s Hospice Care, and we’re incredibly grateful to them for sharing their project and sewing pattern with us so we can bring the same thoughtful idea to Saint Catherine’s.

We’re delighted to have Gill as the first person to make Bags of Compassion for Saint Catherine’s.

Using the approved Bags of Compassion pattern, Gill has lovingly sewn our first collection of bags, which are now ready to be used by our teams. Gill is pictured with one our Activities Coordinator, Marie, showcasing the first Bags of Compassion made for Saint Catherine’s.

Her contribution marks the beginning of what we hope will become a wonderful community sewing project, with people across our community helping us provide something more personal and compassionate for the families we care for.

Marie, Activities Coordinator with Gill who made our first sewed bag.

Why do the bags matter?

When a patient dies, our teams take great care to return their personal belongings to their family.

Help us replace plastic with something kinder and more personal, A Bag of Compassion. A handmade fabric bag that has been created specifically with this moment in mind.

The bags are practical, but they also carry a message of care. Someone has taken the time to choose the fabric, sew the bag and donate it to Saint Catherine’s, so that another family can receive their loved one’s belongings with dignity.

Could you sew a Bag of Compassion?

You don’t need to be an expert seamstress to get involved. If you have basic sewing skills and some suitable fabric, you can make a bag and donate it to Saint Catherine’s.

Handmade Bag of Compassion

You could use:

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New fabric

New or unused fabric you already have at home.

✂️

Fabric offcuts

Good-quality pieces left over from other sewing projects.

♻️

Pre-loved fabric

Good-quality curtains or other suitable materials.

We welcome a variety of colours and patterns. Every bag will be made with care and put to meaningful use.

Download. Sew. Donate.

The Bags of Compassion pattern has been kindly made available to Saint Catherine’s by St. Columba’s Hospice Care, allowing us to use their established pattern and instructions for our own project.

The downloadable guide includes everything you need to get started, including fabric measurements and step-by-step sewing instructions.

DOWNLOAD THE SEWING GUIDE

Download the pattern, make your bag and help us bring a little more compassion to a difficult moment.

Where to bring your finished bag

Once your Bag of Compassion is complete, please bring it to:

IPU Reception at Saint Catherine’s

Throxenby Lane
Scarborough
YO12 5RE

If you are planning to make several bags or have any questions about the project or donating your bags, please email general@saintcatherines.org.uk.

One bag. One act of kindness. One family cared for.

Whether you sew one bag or many, your time and skills can make a difference.

Thank you for helping us create something practical, personal and compassionate for the patients and families we care for.

Bags of Compassion – handmade with care, given with compassion.

Kind words from patient families

We’ve been so touched by the kind feedback we’ve received from families who have received our first few Bags of Compassion.

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We just wanted to say a heartfelt thank you for the lovely bag we received. It was such a kind and thoughtful gesture at a very difficult time. It really meant a lot to our family.

Patient family member

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The bag is such a lovely idea and we are so grateful. It showed such thoughtfulness and care, and showed us how much thought has been put into every detail of the care you provide.

Patient family member